Aspects of the present invention relate generally to carbon dioxide separators, fuel cell systems including the same, and methods of operating fuel cell systems.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices which can convert energy stored in fuels to electrical energy efficiencies. High temperature fuel cells include solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cells. These fuel cells may operate using hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon fuels. There are classes of fuel cells, such as the solid oxide regenerative fuel cells, that also allow reversed operation, such that oxidized fuel can be reduced back to unoxidized fuel using electrical energy as an input.
Removing CO2 from the anode exhaust stream of SOFC systems using a carbon dioxide separator can improve efficiency. The removal of water from the system should also be precisely controlled to produce an appropriate “water balance”. In addition, many carbon dioxide separators include membranes that are sensitive to oxygen and water loss.